Six killed in traffic accident

BOGOR (JP): Six people were killed and 50 others injured when a Sari Bhakti Utama intercity bus plunged into a ravine on a Puncak tea plantation here on Thursday evening after a head-on collision with a Kijang van, a police officer said.

Five of the six fatalities were passengers on the bus, while the other fatality was the driver of the van, Bogor Police chief Lt. Col. Ade Husen said on Friday.

Three of the dead were identified as Nadang S., 22, Endang Sukmana, 22, and Kosasih, 35. The identities of the other fatalities, including the driver of the van, are not known, Husen was quoted by Antara as saying.

The 50 injured victims, including the bus driver, identified as Madjid, and his conductor, Tata, were taken to PMI Bogor General Hospital, Ciawi Hospital and Cisarua Hospital.

Witnesses said the bus, which plied the Pangandaran-Depok route, was driving recklessly at high-speeds when it reached the tea plantation from the direction of Pangandaran and attempted to pass a vehicle.

"About 50 meters before reaching the Riung Gunung overpass, the bus suddenly lost control and hit the van and an empty kiosk before plunging into the 10-meter-deep ravine," according to a witness.

The bus passengers were thrown from the vehicle when the bus rolled over several times, Husen said. (hhr)